Pull-up-pull-down-inverter (pudi), pudi-based system for continuous-time linear-equalization, and method of operating same

A method of operating a pull-up-pull-down-inverter (PUDI), the PUDI including first, second, third and fourth field-effect transistor (FETs), the first and second FETs being positive-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) FETs (PFETs), the third and fourth FETs being first and second negative-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) FETs (NFETs), the method comprising:

• coupling the first and second PFETs in series between a first reference voltage node and an output node of the PUDI,
• coupling the first and second NFETs in series between the output node and a second reference voltage node;
• coupling a control input of each of the second PFET and the first NFET to an input node of the PUDI;
• configuring a control input of the first PFET to receive an FCT selection signal;
• configuring a control input of the second NFET to receive an SCT selection signal;
• and
• controlling the PUDI to:
• operate as an inverter by setting the FCT selection signal to be in an FCT-active state and by setting the SCT selection signal to be in an SCT-active state;
• and
• operate as a pull-up device or a pull-down device by setting the FCT selection signal to be in the FCT-active state and by setting the SCT selection signal to be in an SCT-inactive state or by setting the FCT selection signal to be in an FCT-inactive state and by setting the SCT selection signal to be in the SCT-active state.

A method of operating a continuous-time-linear equalizer (CTLE), the method comprising:

• coupling first pull-up-pull-down-inverters (PUDIs) in parallel including:
• coupling a data input of each of the first PUDIs to a first node representing an input of the CTLE;
• coupling a data output of each of the first PUDIs to a second node of the CTLE;
• coupling a first active inductor to the second node;
• configuring first control inputs of the first PUDIs correspondingly to receive first conductivity type (FCT) selection signals that are PUDI-specific;
• configuring second control inputs of the first PUDIs correspondingly to receive second conductivity type (SCT) selection signals that are PUDI-specific;
• adaptively setting the FCT selection signals for the first PUDIs to be correspondingly in an FCT-active state or an FCT-inactive state;
• and
• adaptively setting the SCT selection signals for the first PUDIs to be correspondingly in an SCT-active state or an SCT-inactive state.